Six Lessons From the Success of Wordle

Unravel the enigma behind Wordle's triumph as we delve into six pivotal lessons gleaned from its success. Discover how simplicity, accessibility, and social engagement can transform a humble word game into a global sensation.

Six Design Lessons from the Success of Wordle

You have six attempts to guess a five-letter word, and you get Mastermind-like clues as to what you got right and wrong with each guess.

• It’s social; because everyone is hunting for the same word each day, you can race against friends and commiserate
• After you solve the word you can humblebrag-share an image of your solution on TikTok or Twitter or any socialtube. It’s free.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel

Most successful ideas are extensions or riffs on existing ones

• In games, tinkering with an existing form of play can create something delightfully new while also being familiar
• The path to wild success is hitting that midpoint
• Wordle invented very little, cribbed straightforwardly from the game mechanics of Mastermind

Forget the app store: Make stuff on the open web

Anyone can play Wordle on the web – no need to create an account or log in.

• The game doesn’t give a crap about who you are – it’s just a game that’s fun.

Making something as a gift is a powerful motivation

Wardle created the game for his partner; it was a gift, an act of generosity.

• The sheer uncommerciality of the venture is weirdly refreshing. It stands in total contrast to the just-add-water hucksterism of today’s influencers and tech firms.

Engineer for occasional use, not for addiction

Wordle was able to create a game that you’re intended to play only occasionally

• Once you’ve solved the day’s word, you…stop playing and go do other stuff
• Unlike most social media apps, Wordle does not try to get you addicted to the app

Make things for an audience of one

When we’re creating things, it’s normal to start worrying about how our audience will react. Worrying about this can lead you into a rathole of self-censorship, where you try to satisfy everyone and wind up satisfying no one.

• I find it far more useful to think of a single, specific person when I’m writing. When you’re in mental dialogue with a single person, your creative decisions are sharpened.

Observe what your fans are doing

It’s frequently very valuable to pay attention how your audience is interacting with your work. They see things you don’t, and come up with ideas you can’t.

• For example, in the early days of Twitter, it was clever users who invented the retweet and at-reply.

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